Part 6 (1/2)
”Well, I suppose I might be a bit angry, too, had such a villain corrupted my son.”
”He's not a villain.”
Fayth turned to the girl. ”You don't know that. He seems like a hero to you because he got your father in a lather, but he's naught but a common outlaw.”
Diana's cheeks flushed, but she held Fayth's stare. ”He saved my brother from h.e.l.l.”
”I see. Your brother apparently was not a good monk. You think riding with an outlaw will get him into heaven?”
”You dinna ken him. I do.”
”Ah. So that's the way it is. Will it be a virgin birth or do you plan to tell Lord Carlisle who the father is?” Though she wouldn't be the first girl to claim such a thing, it was doubtful Ashton Carlisle would believe it. But telling him Red Alex was the father might be more dangerous than lying.
Diana gasped, then laughed. ”I'm not pregnant! And if I were, my father would never let me marry Red Alex!” She laughed again, twirling about the room so her skirts belled out. She stopped, hands on hips. ”I dinna want to marry him anyway. I just wanted... well, I was curious...”
Fayth had to smile-it sounded like something she might have done. ”You laid with him just to defy your father?”
Diana's knowing smile faded. ”Will you tell Father?”
”Do you want me to?”
The girl chewed her lip thoughtfully. Fayth could see she didn't quite know what she wanted. She obviously loathed her father and wanted to hurt him, but this was not the way to go about it. She might find herself in dire circ.u.mstances, indeed, if he ever discovered the affair-a consequence the girl had obviously belatedly realized.
Fayth went to her, trying to smile gently, as Mona always did. ”You don't want me to tell your father. Who knows what he'll do? He might even make you marry Red Alex.” That elicited a strange shudder from Fayth-disgust, surely. ”Let me tell you about Red Alex. I do know him.”
Diana frowned.
Fayth nodded sagely. ”Yes. He murdered my betrothed.”
”Really?” Diana was not at all appalled. It was the way of things on the border, so Fayth strove to strengthen her statement.
”My father said I could wed how I chose or not wed at all. And so I chose Jack Graham. He had no t.i.tles or lands... but he was what I wanted.”
Diana smiled sadly. ”My father would never say that. He believes marriages are for alliances.”
”No wonder he and Ridley get on so well.”
”Why did Alex kill Jack?”
”Red Alex was holding him for ransom. My brother, Wesley, had collected the money but before he could deliver payment Red Alex wrote that Jack was dead.”
Diana's eyes lit up. ”Alex gave me a letter.” She dug in her bodice, her tongue poking between her lips.
”I see you keep it close to your heart.” Had the girl heard a word she said? Her lover was a murderer!
”Oh, I canna read it, nor can I ask our priest to. He would just tell my father.” After groping inside her chemise for an interminable amount of time while Fayth watched with raised brows, Diana produced the missive. ”Will you read it to me?”
Fayth looked from the wrinkled and soiled parchment to Diana and back. ”Ah... I really don't-”
”Och, ye canna read either.” Diana sighed.